Maureen Coughlin's Path Traveled
Title
Deputy CIO, Director IT Security and Operations
Subject area(s) of study:
- Communications
- Cyber Security
- IT Leadership and Strategic Planning
- IT Risk Management
What prompted you to chose your career path, and when did the door first open?
In school, I took a class on Fiber Optics, which lead to a career in telecommunications. With the changing landscape of telecommunications, I branched out into a broader technology interest. Everything I did in my career expanded my knowledge and allowed me to take on new and greater responsibilities.
Maureen's Tips:
- Get in on the ground level, perhaps in the Service Desk, and learn as much about technology as you can.
- Work with many mentors and peers, take training classes, and ask to shadow people that are doing something you find interesting.
- Volunteer to work on a project with other team members even if you are not an expert in the field.
- Join outside organizations that focus on what you are interested in and attend their local chapter meetings.
- Find recognized certifications and take a course to acquire the certification. I find I learn best when I am working toward a goal/test.
What are a few networking events, channels you'd recommend?
Maureen's Picks: more resources & materials to help get you to the next step...
- Educause annual conference and Educause membership provides great online resources
- NIST.gov
- Read books by successful organizational and tech leaders. Personal favorites: "Change your Questions, Change your Life" and "Radical Candor"
- Don't just read tech books, develop your whole self. Not sure what someone is talking about in a meeting, too many acronyms? Google it.
What certificates or degrees do you recommend?
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- BS or MS Degree in an interested field